When I took a look to a link in a Facebook page about a short-term EVS project named “Harmonious Pathways” (the European Volunteering Service) in Ireland I was so enthusiastic that I couldn’t had simply said “no”. I arranged my documents with the Czech counterpart, the sending organization International Young Naturefriends, all the papers and so on with the Czech sending organization and finally I packed my luggage and took a plane in the Vaclav Havel airport. Destination: Dublin. On the way I met my Czech co-worker Lucie; we travelled together to a town in the South, including the night spending in the surroundings of the capital city. Next day afternoon we travelled to the place so called Wexford in a two hours and a half trip by bus…

There is a truly fascination for Ireland in my land, Galicia by the fact of being both Celtic nations (to see how far comes these connections, check here our passion for Gaelic football without any official support, a very popular sport for Irish people, and here the list of Irish bands in our most important Folk music festival) so it was my case too. Even that I had never dreamt to visit the island in a short or medium term… Imagine my surprise!

If I weren’t emigrated in the Czech Republic probably I would had started a farming project in my parents fields, combining the sustainable exploitation of the local richness present in the flora, fauna and the landscapes which has been supplying its inhabitants by thousands of years. I am myself an amateur bee-keeper. So honestly talking I was curious to know what were the principles of permaculture and for what it was useful for.

10 young volunteers, 5 countries, one Irish organization, one abandoned farm converted in a laboratory against social inequalities…